This invention relates to an improved winder for use in winding a web upon a roll carried between a pair of horizontal spreadable support rolls.
Surface winders have been disclosed wherein a pair of parallel horizontal support or bed rolls are separable or spreadable as the cloth roll is being built to offer better support and a lower center of gravity as the size of the web roll increases. A surface winder utilizing spreadable rolls is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,850 which contemplates movement of one or more of the rolls at an angle to the horizontal as the weight of the cloth roll increased during the build. This spreading of the surface winder rolls is accomplished by means of fluid operated cylinders which yield to the increasing weight. It is believed that such devices lack uniformity and consistency in the support of a web roll and in the ability of the support rolls to spread as desired during the build of a cloth roll. Moreover, such a winder lacks accessibility for receiving attention by the operators and is limited as to the doffing apparatus and procedure which may be utilized therewith. Prior art surface winders have been found to lack the precision necessary to properly compensate for increases in weight during the build as are occasioned by the ever increasing size of the web rolls utilized in industry. Such winders are unduly complex from the standpoint of construction and use.
It is important that the distance between the support rolls increases in such a predetermined fashion as to reflect increasing size of the web roll to offer optimum support and accessibility during winding. It is also important that suitable doffing apparatus be available. Another problem is occasioned by the necessity for providing suitable core guides to accommodate the web roll as it moves responsive to spreading of the support rolls during the build. If various sizes of roll cores are to be utilized depending on fabric styles and the like it is important that the support roll spacing on start up be such as to properly position the roll cores at the outset.